The history of the Grey Sisters of Pembroke, from 1737 to the present, is a history rooted in trust. The spirituality of Marguerite d’Youville, who founded the community, embraced Jesus' unlimited trust in the providence of his Father, and a call to reveal that love to the poor and the needy of her world.

Marguerite’s life was ­rooted in her total confidence in God’s care for everyone and for all of creation. It gave birth to a strong conviction which allowed this valiant and daring woman to walk in trust through the winds of suffering, misunderstanding, and opposition.

Sharing a similar call, several companions joined Marguerite and on December 31, 1737, they consecrated themselves to God for the service of the poor. Without the security afforded by official approval, which came only in 1755, this small group of women, later to be known as the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, the “Grey Nuns”, lived out their commitment to God.

The charism with which Marguerite and the original Grey Nun Community were gifted has been the gift of the Spirit to all the daughters of Saint Marguerite d’Youville from 1737 to the present day. It characterized the 1845 foundation in Ottawa (then Bytown) from which the Pembroke foundation grew. Known as the Grey Nuns of the Cross (now the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa), the life of Elisabeth Bruyère, their first Superior General, was rooted in trust in Divine Providence. She and her dedicated followers extended their borders far beyond the poor of Bytown serving the needy with the apostolic zeal of Marguerite.

Trusting in God and convinced of God’s call to begin a new foundation for English-speaking women who shared Marguerite’s charism, Mother St. Paul pioneered the Pembroke foundation in 1926. She and 76 founding sisters shared with Marguerite d’Youville the same trust in God’s providence, the same inner conviction and courage in the face of great hardships, the same compassion for God’s poor and suffering.

The new community undertook ministries, particularly in education and health care, in the lumber towns of Pembroke and Eganville, the mining towns of Timmins and Kirkland Lake, the steel town of Sault Ste. Marie, the towns of Midland, Penetang and Windsor, the inner city of Vancouver, the Prairie towns of Lestock and Esterhazy, and mission work in China, Japan, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

Over the years, to the present day, the Grey Sisters of Pembroke have been faithful to the heritage of Marguerite d’Youville, Elizabeth Bruyère, and Mother St. Paul in responding to the changing needs of the world in which they live. Like their founding Sisters, they have combined a spirituality of trust in God’s providence with a practical wisdom born of engagement with the world in a wide variety of ministries.